Now Demonstrating
"Now Demonstrating" is a new segment added to Ferris in Focus for the spring 2010 semester at Ferris State University. It is a How-To-type segment that is set to help replace the now-defunct "Walk-On." Topics Staying Warm in Big Rapids Northern Michigan can be cold and unforgiving. The Dozerfleet founder and classmate Nate Totten teamed up to discuss how tow truckers, construction workers, and students stay warm. Methods discussed included coats, gel packets, and thermal underwear. Interviews included Clark Construction Company superintendent Mike "Spike" McKeen and one driver from Big Rapids Towing. For the comedic non-sequiturs, clips included a cutaway to a stuffed bear and the host getting blown away in a green-screened blizzard. The segment also features voice intonation parodies of Red Green and Billy Mays. How to Dance the Hustle Ferris Alumni and dancing enthusiast Michael Noble comes on to bring up his specialty skills with dancing hustle. According to Mike, the hustle dance requires dancers to "form a box," and start from a given direction while completing that box. To perform a ballroom hustle: # Start with taking a side-step. # Pivot # Four Count # Step Right # Step Left # Turn # Another two steps # Pivot # Reverse Pivot # Repeat three times. Mike makes a complete hustle about 26 steps long, but adds a few of his own for a custom hustle. Using a Wireless Router as a Switch Nick Blohm illustrates how to use a wireless router on campus, even though wireless routers are not allowed, and how to do so without breaking school rules. The secret lies in using the switch ports only, and ignoring the WAN port that manufacturers tell students to use. Planning the Perfect Spring Break Getaway Pathfinders Travel, a travel agency, rejoiced that it could give bored students a spring break to remember. Popular travel destinations included Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico. Pathfinders employee Ann Shanteau alerted students that they should know their flight schedules, and beware of any delays. She reminded students to always have a passport ready. (But said nothing about visas.) Staying Green Unfortunately for this segment, it read more like a “What Do You Think?” than a Now Demonstrating segment. Answers to “how do you stay green” included: # Drive slower # Unplug things # Turn lights off # Reuse boxes # Be a pack rat and recycle occasionally. # Don’t use excessive water when brushing. # Buy in bulk # PC hardware and its accessories are recyclable. # Get your families to copy your good habits. Baking a Cake in a Microwave Megan shares her recipe on how to bake a cake in a microwave with only a few ingredients and five minutes heating time using a coffee mug. # 1 microwave # 4 Tbsp flour # 3 Tbsp sugar # 2 Tbsp baking cocoa # 3 Tbsp oil # 3 Tbsp milk # A small splash of vanilla # 2 Tbsp of whisked egg # 3 Tbsp chocolate chips # 1 coffee mug Bakes in five minutes. Doing Laundry Around Campus With absolutely nothing better to talk about, Tabby had a lady in town tell everyone how to do laundry. # Gather all dirty clothes from around the house. (Make sure to check under the bed.) # Dump the dirty clothes into a washer near you. Or go to a laundromat if you don’t have one. # Sorting by color and wash type helps. # Figure out which pile is gonna be washed first, and add spot remover wherever necessary. For best results, use an old toothbrush. # Add detergent, pick a setting, and wait. # Add dryer sheet, plop stuff in dryer, pick a setting, and wait. # Take out early to prevent wrinkles. Getting Hired Out of College First things first: students are expected to have a decent resume before they attempt anything workforce-related. Angie Roman of Student Career Services remarked in an interview that the biggest mistake she’d seen of students is mistaking a resume for a portfolio catalog. Another mistake often made is that students show a total history of everything they’ve ever done in terms of work history and community service. However, everyone is encouraged to keep more than one type of resume handy. Each resume should be geared towards showing one’s qualifications towards working one or another specific type of job. Araxie Zaleski, a Public Relations major, argued that community service is often downplayed by students who have it. Concerning dress, men are expected to wear simple suits. Women have trickier options to sort though. There are pants suits and suits with skirts, as well as other various options. Women are expected to research the culture of whatever company they apply for to figure out how to dress. Angie went on that one should know what type of interview they’re going to: a one-on-one or a gang-up. Attitude factors in a lot more than it should also. Making Fudge # (3) Cups of sugar # (4) Tbsp. cocoa powder # (3) Tbsp. light corn syrup # (1) Cup of evaporated milk # (6) Tbsp. of butter # (1-1/2) tsp. of vanilla extract # Large saucepan # Candy thermometer # Glass baking dish # Spatula Mix cocoa and sugar together in saucepan. Next, add corn syrup and evaporated milk into saucepan. Cook over medium heat until it reaches temperatures between 234 and 240 degrees. Text mixture by dropping tiny amount into cold water. A mixture that is ready will form soft balls in cold water. Add butter and vanilla and stir. Pour finished mixture into a buttered dish. Mixture hardens quickly. Spread evenly with a spatula. Let dish harden, cut into squares, then serve. Will stay fresh for up to a week in the fridge. How to Pick Up Chicks Lamarr invited his friend Damari McBride to guest host the segment for its semi-epic ending. In order to qualify himself as an "expert" on the topic of how men on campus can pick up a date, he first provided a disclaimer to his statements from a previous episode. In that episode, he rambled on about his fantasies of strippers. This time around, he talks about his softer side, a side that is capable of thinking of something other than strippers. He went on to claim that he had searched the campus for answers to what women expect most when someone asks them for a date. The first girl interviewed claimed that "it's not a game," even though a lot of other women disagree. She did state that a good sense of humor was critical. Another girl stated that she wants to see complete confidence in a man. A third said "know who you really are." A fourth claimed that the promise of a shopping trip would get her interested. Another said: "relaxed, and no emos or pretty boys." Frank appeared to enact a scenario for the audience, as Damari argued that "not just confidence, but supreme confidence" is necessary for success. Damari next stated that "not-too-shabby looks" are essential to gain appeal, and followed up with "be aggressive and follow through." The scenario showed Frank landing a date with little-to-no trouble. Just about anyone else trying to act that scenario out would have a 50/50 chance of getting slapped instead. Category: Ferris in Focus segments